


Texting and Scones

by hernameisgeorge



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Cas is a creeping creeper, Dean likes him anyway, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gabriel's a bit of an ass, Homophobic Language, M/M, Major Character Injury, Misunderstandings, Mute Castiel, but it works out in the end
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-15
Updated: 2014-09-19
Packaged: 2017-12-26 16:17:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 8,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/968010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hernameisgeorge/pseuds/hernameisgeorge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean was on his way to refill the beans in the coffee machine when he saw him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> An alternate title would be "Rachel is a sucker for coffee shop AUs and mute!Cas and there's not enough of either," but that's too long.

Dean was on his way to refill the beans in the coffee machine when he saw him.

His hands were moving rapidly and he kept looking towards the bathroom. It took Dean a minute to figure out he was signing. A few words popped out at him.

_Brother-order-can't-please-_

"I've got this one, Charlie," he told her.

She looked panicked. "Thank you so much. I'll go refill the machine." She turned back to the guy. "I'm so sorry."

"Why don't you tell me what's wrong?" Dean asked. "Slowly though, please. I'm not very good at translating."

The guy sighed in relief and nodded before starting to sign again. _I come here with my brother sometimes. He usually orders since I can't talk but he went to the bathroom just as I reached the front of the line. I tried to explain to the barista but she didn't understand._

Dean missed more than he understood, but he got the gist of it. "All right. Well now you can order. If you'd rather wait for your brother to get back, that's fine too."

The guy looked over at the bathroom door again, then turned back to Dean. _I'll just order if that's all right._

"Yeah, sure thing. What'll it be?"

_A regular coffee for me and my brother will have the sweetest thing on the menu. And a blueberry scone._

Dean picked up two cups and wrote the orders down. "Names?"

_Castiel and Gabriel._

Dean quickly wrote the names down before handing the cups to Charlie. In the meantime, Dean wrapped up a scone from the display case. "So, Castiel. Am I saying that right?"

Castiel nodded, pulling out his wallet.

"Cool. I'm Dean."

_It's nice to meet you Dean._

"You too."

_If you don't mind me asking where did you learn to sign?_

"Nah, that's fine," Dean said as he rang up the order. "I went to school with this boy, Benny. He was deaf. I felt bad that he always had to write down his half of the conversation, since he didn't like to talk if he couldn't hear it. He moved away, but I didn't want it to happen again, so I taught myself. I can recognize most stuff, but the best I can do myself is finger spelling."

_That's impressive. Most people don't bother._

Dean was about to reply when a shorter man threw his arm around Castiel. "Looks like you made a friend!"

"You must be Gabriel."

"Has Castiel told you about me? All bad, I hope." He winked at his brother.

"He didn't tell me much. Just that you abandoned your mute brother just before you had to order." Dean shrugged. "So yeah, all bad."

To Dean's surprise, Gabriel just smirked at him. "Cassie always did have weird taste." He grabbed a napkin and wrote down a number with a pen he produced from somewhere on his person. "This is Castiel's phone number. He'll never pluck up the courage to give it to you on his own." He leaned over the counter and slipped the napkin into a pocket on Dean's apron.

_Gabriel please!_

Gabriel ignored him. He picked up his scone and coffee and waited for Castiel to grab his own cup before hurrying out the door.

 _Thank you,_ Castiel signed, and then followed his brother.

Dean ignored the look Charlie was giving him and went to help the next customer. And if he immediately pulled his phone out at the end of his shift? Well, that was his business.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, so I thought I'd have this done way earlier than this. I literally just finished it. That'll teach me not to set deadlines for myself. (Side note: I'm going to continue to add tags as the story progresses.)
> 
> Anyway, here's chapter two of Texting and Scones, back by popular demand! Picks up right where we left off, so Dean just got off work.

Dean stared at his phone for a good five minutes before deciding to send a simple, "Hey its dean," because he was a fifteen year old girl apparently. He got a reply almost instantly.

**Hello, Dean. I apologize for Gabriel's behavior this afternoon. He thinks I need friends.**

**Its all right. I know what its like having an embarrassing brother.**

**You have a brother?**

**Yeah, sam. Hes a lawyer.**

**You must be very proud of him.**

**Yeah I am**

He immediately began tapping out another message once the last one sent.

**I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch with me tomorrow?**

Castiel took a few minutes to respond to that one. Long enough for Dean to worry that he'd read the situation completely wrong.

**I would like that very much.**

Dean breathed out a sigh of relief.

**Awesome. I know a great place. Hope you like burgers.**

**I love them.**

* * *

The Roadhouse was pretty crowded when Dean arrived. It took him a bit to spot Castiel sitting in a booth by himself.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," he said as he slid into the seat across from him. "Traffic was a bitch."

Castiel smiled. _It's fine. I haven't been waiting long._

"Good, because I would feel like a dick otherwise."

Castiel smiled again and passed Dean the menu he'd been perusing. _Would you mind ordering for me? I can't decide what to get._

He took the menu and glanced at it. "No problem." He put the menu down. "So how was the rest of your day yesterday?"

_It was pleasant. Thank you for asking. And yours?_

"Good, it was good."

They were silent (well, Dean was silent) until a waitress came over.

"What can I get you guys?"

Dean looked up at her and smiled. "Hey, Jo. How's your mom?"

"She's over at the bar wondering who your friend here is." She pointed over her shoulder at Ellen, who was wiping down glasses and glancing over at their booth with interest.

"This is Cas. Cas, this is Jo Harvelle. Her mom, Ellen, owns this place," he explained.

Jo held out a hand towards him. "Nice to meet you. I can tell you embarrassing stories about Dean."

He shook her hand and waved with the other.

"Mute or deaf?"

"He's mute," Dean said.

Jo pushed Dean over to the other side of the seat and sat down, sliding her notepad across the table. "So how did you two meet?"

"It was at-" Dean started, but Jo elbowed him. "Ow!"

"Shut up, Dean, I asked him."

Castiel quickly jotted down the cliff notes version of their meeting the previous day. He handed the notepad back to Jo.

"Your brother is kind of a dick," she said after finishing it.

 _It's not his fault. He had been having a bad week,_ he signed. Dean relayed it verbally.

"That explains it, but it doesn't justify it." Jo looked over at Ellen. "Well, I've gotta get back to work." She took down their orders and left with a promise that they would be out soon.

_She seems nice._

"Yeah, Jo's great."

 _Are you and she?_ He let the rest of the sentence hang.

Dean scoffed. "Nah, she's like a sister to me. Besides, she's dating Charlie."

_And Charlie is the other barista from yesterday?_

"That's her. I introduced them after I started working there."

_You seem to be very good friends._

"Yeah, well." Dean shrugged. "What about you? Who do you hang out with, other than your brother?"

 _I usually spend time with Gabriel and his girlfriend Kali. I do occasionally meet up with an old friend from college though._ He grimaced. _We used to date._

"Still friends with the ex, that's good at least. Did you part on good terms or reconcile later?"

_It was mutual. He no longer felt comfortable with my disability and I didn't want to date anyone like that._

Dean nodded. "I can see why that would be problem."

Castiel exhaled sharply; probably his version of a laugh. _I'm glad we're on the same page._

"Oh yeah, sure. Thanks, Jo," he said to her when she returned with their food.

She put the plates down in front of them. "Have fun, you two." She winked and moved on to the next customers.

Dean picked up his burger, indicating for Castiel to do the same. "You're gonna love this. Ellen's burgers are the best."

He watch as Castiel sunk his teeth into his burger. The expression that passed over his face was one of pure bliss.

He freed one hand long enough to sign, _This is very good,_ before diving back in.

Dean looked on in amusement for a few more moments before starting his own burger.

They made small talk until it came down to deciding who would pay.

"Dude, I was the one who invited you out. It's only fair."

_Really Dean I insist._

"I even ordered. Why won't you just let me pay?"

_Because if you pay I'm going to start thinking this was a date._

Dean sat back into his seat. "Wasn't it?"

Castiel blushed. _Did you want it to be?_

"Well, I kind of hoped it was..."

Castiel's hands stilled and dropped into his lap, which Dean took to mean, "Oh."

 _I,_ his hands faltered. _I had also hoped that this was a date._

Dean smiled and opened his wallet. "Tell you what, Cas. You can get the next one."

_I would like that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it, you vultures. (I'm kidding, I love you.)
> 
> Sam's gonna be in the next one, I think. Here's hoping anyway. He's been absent and I don't particularly like it.
> 
> And yes, I did check to see if "this is very good" could be signed with one hand. I do my research. Good is a two-handed sign, but he could definitely do that with a burger in his hand.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished this one a lot sooner than I thought, so you get it at this ungodly hour.
> 
> Maybe this will remind me in the future to not write while watching anime.

"So you like him?" Sam asked for the fourth time. They were sitting in his living room, having a few beers and catching up.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Asking me a thousand times isn't going to get me to answer, Sam." He'd put off visiting for this exact reason.

Sam sighed. "Fine. Can I meet him?"

"Dude, I just met him myself two weeks ago."

"And you've gotten together with him how many times since then?"

Dean grumbled. They'd only met up four more times since their first date. It wasn't that much, was it?

Okay it was, but Sam was still a bitch.

"You're still a bitch," Dean said, pulling his phone out.

"And you're a jerk. What are you doing?"

"I'm texting Cas. Do you want to meet him or not?" He opened up a new message.

**Sam wants to meet you. You game?**

**Yes, I'm "game." I would love to meet Sam.**

***sigh* youre gonna regret that**

**Why?**

Dean slipped his phone back into his pocket, deciding to answer Castiel's text after he left Sam's house.

"Cas wants to meet you too," he said reluctantly.

Sam smiled. "He's got good taste in people then." He regarded Dean. "You must have been a fluke."

"Why you little..."

Dean was cut off by the sound of the front door opening. Sam's girlfriend, Sarah, came into the living room, pulling her coat off.

"Hey, Sarah," Sam said.

"Heeey, sexy!" Sarah went around to the front of the couch and plopped down between them, planting a big kiss on Dean's cheek. She turned to Sam and waved. "Hi, Sam."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Oh, I see how it is. You're leaving me for my own brother. I hate to break it to you, but he'll never love you; he's gay."

"Dude, I'm not gay," Dean said indignantly.

Sam ignored him. "And he's already got a boyfriend."

"Say it ain't so!" Sarah said, turning back around to face Dean.

"It's true. I grew tired of waiting for you to come to your senses, and I found someone else."

Sarah clutched her chest and proceeded to have a fake heart attack, which ended with her slumped against Sam, dead.

Sam snickered and started tickling her. She wormed away from him and fled the room. "Good luck with your boyfriend, Dean!" she called over her shoulder.

"You're coming with me to meet him!" Sam shouted to her before she was out of earshot.

"So," Dean said reluctantly, "when do you want to meet him?"

"As soon as possible!"

Dean sighed. "Fine, but you only get to meet him because I like him so much."

"So you _do_ like him!" Sam grinned triumphantly.

"Seriously?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always imagined that Sarah would've been a hoot and a half, so that's how I'm going to be depicting her. Originally her fake-death was going to be longer and more dramatic, but ultimately I decided to keep it short.
> 
> They get to meet Cas in the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not too fond of this chapter, tbh. I dunno, I just couldn't get it to go where I wanted. Oh well.

Dean shifted nervously on his couch and glanced at the clock again.

 _They'll be here Dean. Stop worrying,_ Cas signed. He was sitting next to Dean on the couch, waiting for Sam and Sarah to arrive.

"But they're late. They said they'd be here at noon."

_They're only ten minutes late. It's fine._

Dean looked at the clock once more. "Sam's never late. Something must have happened to them. They must have had an accident, or-"

Cas put a hand over his mouth. _Stop freaking out. I will hit you._

There was a knock at the door.

_That must be them now._

Dean got up and answered the door, only to be pulled into a hug. "Hey, Sammy. You're late."

Sam let go and pushed past him into Dean's apartment. "I know, I know. We would've been here sooner, but there was traffic."

Dean kissed Sarah on the cheek and took the bag she was carrying. "Please tell me you brought pie." He peeked inside. "Oh, yes! Peach?"

Sarah nodded. "Naturally."

"You are the best! I'm going to put this in the kitchen, you make yourselves comfortable." Dean put the pie on the counter, and when he got back to the living room, Cas was writing in is notebook.

"Whatcha writing?" he asked.

Cas quickly signed, _Sam asked me what I do for a living,_ and continued writing.

He worked from home, translating books into other languages. He could translate to and from English, Spanish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Swahili, Korean, and Japanese.

"It's really cool that you know that many languages," Sam said after he and Sarah read what Cas wrote.

Cas just smiled and nodded.

The next half hour was spent trading information back and forth, with Dean translating Castiel's short statements, and him writing the longer ones down.

"If you don't mind my asking," Sarah said later on, "how did you become mute?"

Cas didn't move, but his smile faded the slightest bit.

"Oh, forget I asked," she said, backtracking.

 _It's fine,_ he signed, allowing Dean to translate before continuing. _It's sort of a delicate subject._

"You don't have to-" He held up a hand to stop her.

_I don't mind. I'm just not used to being around people who don't already know._

Everyone was silent as he wrote. Dean peered at the notebook.

_I'm the youngest of three. My mother was quite liberal in her youth, and since my siblings were born without any complications, she had no qualms about doing so many drugs while pregnant with me. As luck would have it, my vocal chords developed abnormally, and I was born almost completely mute. I can just barely make a K sound._

"Really?" Dean said.

Cas nodded and passed his notebook to Sarah, who read it and then gave it to Sam.

"Can you really?" Sam asked as he gave the notebook back to Cas.

He nodded again and demonstrated. _I discovered that when I was seven and my sister accidentally broke my leg._

Sarah leaned over and hugged Cas. "I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have to suffer for your mother's mistakes!"

He wrapped his arms around her, making sure Dean could still see his hands.

_Nobody is perfect. I don't hold it against her._

"It was still really irresponsible of her."

* * *

"Text me, okay?" Sarah said to Cas as she and Sam were leaving. "I want that chicken salad recipe."

Cas nodded and gave her one last hug.

"I think that went well," Dean said after he locked the door behind them.

_I told you there was nothing to worry about._

Dean scoffed. "Yeah, yeah, you were right. Don't rub it in."

Cas smiled and pulled Dean in by his belt loops. _I'm always right._

Dean hummed and cornered him up against the door. He leaned in until their lips were barely a hair's breadth apart...

And then they were interrupted by a knock.

Dean sighed and leaned his head against the door. "What did they forget?" He stepped back and allowed Cas to get himself straightened out before opening the door again.

"How hard is it to- Lisa?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, random cliffhanger for no reason! What's Lisa doing there? Will Ben come into play? How will Cas feel about it? How will _Dean_ feel about it? Some of these questions and probably others will be answered next time!
> 
> Thanks to everybody who helped me decide the reason behind Castiel's muteness. Somebody made a comment about wanting to know why, so I threw that in. And yes, his sister is Anna. I never actually mentioned his and Gabriel's last name (mostly because I hadn't decided what it was), but it's Milton. I dunno who their irresponsible mother is though. Dean's still gotta meet the family though, so I'll figure it out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One day I will update this at a normal time. Today is not that day.

"Dean!"

"Hey, Ben!" He ruffled his hair. "What are you doing here?"

Ben reached up to fix his hair. "Mom's gotta take Grandma to the hospital."

Lisa gave him a sheepish smile. "Do you mind? It'll only be a few hours. My mom has an appointment she has to get to."

"No, it's fine. You know I love spending time with him." He stepped aside to let them in. "If you're hungry, I've still got some food out. Sam was just here."

"Yeah, we saw him and Sarah outside. They let us in the building." She stepped into the apartment and stopped when she saw Cas. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh, right. This is Castiel. Cas, this is Lisa and her son, Ben."

Ben snickered. "Dean's got a new boyfriend!" he teased. Dean shoved him.

"It's nice to meet you, Cas."

 _And you,_ he signed.

"Deaf or mute?"

"He's mute." Dean thought Ben's eyes were going to pop out of his head.

Castiel's own eyes widened when Ben started signing. He looked at Dean and tilted his head in question.

"I taught Ben sign language too," Dean said. "Humor him. He hardly has any occasion to practice."

Ben dragged Cas into the other room, leaving Dean and Lisa alone.

"You want a drink?" Dean said.

"Sure."

They were silent while Dean got a glass out.

"So..." Lisa said.

"So?"

"Cas, huh?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, Cas."

"Well you certainly have a type."

Dean chuckled. "Sure seems that way, doesn't it?"

Lisa looked down at her feet. "I really am sorry things ended the way they did."

"I know you are, Lis. And you know that I don't hold it against you."

"Maybe it was for the best. I mean, at least we have Ben now, right?"

"Right."

Lisa looked like she was about to say something else, but then her phone rang. "Ah, that's probably my mom. I should already have been there by now."

"Then go." He ushered her to the door. "Tell her I said hi."

"I'll be back in a couple hours to pick him up." She answered the phone. "Hello, Mom? Yeah, I'm at Dean's. He says hi. I know, I'll be right there." She waved over her shoulder. "No, I'm not gonna tell him that."

After locking the door again, Dean went back to the living room, where Cas and Ben were signing back and forth.

"Sorry," he said to Cas. "She usually calls first."

Cas paused in replying to Ben. _It's fine but you are explaining later._

"Of course." Dean pressed a kiss to his temple, ignoring Ben's exaggerated gagging.

* * *

"Thanks again for watching him!"

Dean rolled his eyes. "Stop thanking me. I love the kid, it's no trouble."

"You are a god among men, Dean Winchester." She poked him in the arm.

Dean laughed. "Don't you forget it."

He closed the door behind them and leaned up against it, sighing dramatically.

Cas gave him a meaningful look.

"Right," Dean said. "I promised to explain. C'mon, let's sit down first."

Cas looked at him expectantly again when they were sitting on the couch.

Dean took a deep breath. "I met Lisa when I was nineteen. She was a one night stand turned into a very bendy weekend, somehow turned into a steady relationship that lasted three years."

 _So Ben is your son?_ Cas signed.

"No," Dean said. "The kid's great. I'd be honored if he was mine, but no."

_Then what happened?_

"I was doing the laundry one day. Found a shirt. Wasn't mine. I asked her about it, and she said she was drunk, it was a mistake, and it would never happen again. I mean, I believed her, but after that..." He paused for a moment. "Anyway, she understood and we parted ways.

"Then about a month later, she calls me up, says she's pregnant and doesn't know who the father is. We eventually found out it was the other guy, but her father was dead, and her mother had breast cancer, so I stuck around for her, and when Ben was born, she made me his godfather."

_I'm so sorry that you had to go through that Dean._

"Nah, it's fine. Sure, I was ready to settle down with Lisa, but if I could do it all again, I wouldn't change a thing. I'm a better person because of it."

Cas smiled at him. _You are..._ He stopped.

"What? I'm what?"

_Remarkable._

Dean nudged him with his shoulder. "You're not so bad yourself."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do end chapters? Anyway, so yeah, that's what's going on with that.
> 
> Hopefully the next chapter will be something other than them just meeting people. Possibly some plot? Maybe more Gabe. I dunno, we'll find out.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter decided to take on a life of its own. Seriously. Where it went was not where I wanted to take it. I finally wrangled it back in by the end, but the damage was done. And I happened to like the damage, so I left it like that. Enjoy?

"The more he spoke, the straighter I was," Charlie said.

"That's weird, because I felt myself becoming gayer as the movie went on."

Dean was at work, and while service was slow, he and Charlie were discussing the new Star Trek movie.

Charlie rolled her eyes. "Dean, I don't think it's possible for you to be any gayer. You like boobs too much."

"That's true."

"And besides," she continued, "not even the likes of Benadryl Cabbagepatch could ever replace Cas in your heart."

Dean narrowed his eyes. "I hate that I know who you're talking about."

Charlie looked over his shoulder as the bell over the door rang. "Speak of the devil."

Dean turned around and saw Cas and Gabriel entering the shop. "Hey, Cas," he said when they came to the counter. "Gabriel."

Gabriel waved vaguely, distracted by whatever he was doing on his phone.

_Hello Dean. How are you?_

Dean leaned over the counter and, after looking around once, kissed him quickly. "I'm great. Now, what can I get you?"

_Just a regular coffee please._

He wrote the order on a cup and passed it back to Charlie. "And for you, Gabe?"

Gabriel didn't even bother looking up. "Nothing for me. I hate the coffee here."

Dean furrowed his brow. "Wait, if you don't like the coffee, why do you come so often?"

He did look up at this. "He hasn't told you?"

"Hasn't told me what?"

"A whole month, you'd think it would come up. Oh but this is just too good." He slung an arm around Castiel's shoulders. "Why haven't you told him, Cassie?"

Cas shrugged his arm off. _Stop it Gabriel._

"Cas, what is he talking about?"

_Nothing. It's nothing._

Gabriel snorted. "Nothing, my left butt cheek. It's hilarious, why don't you just tell him?"

_Please Gabriel not now._

He must have seen something in Castiel's face because he backed off. "Fine, but you need to tell him." He went to sit down.

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Something you want to share with the class?"

Cas took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. _Gabriel wishes me to tell you that you are the third person in a row I've met in a coffee shop._

Dean's other eyebrow raised to join the first. "The third?" he said, fighting a smile.

Cas nodded.

"In a row?"

_Yes that's right._

"The last two relationships you had were with people you met in coffee shops?"

_Gabriel finds it amusing._

"Well it is!" Dean said, trying to smother his laughter.

"What's so funny?" Charlie asked, putting Castiel's drink on the counter.

Cas just shook his head and paid for his drink. _I'm also to tell you that Gabriel is grateful we met. He said that before I was being creepy and he was tired of being an enabler._

"Wait, what? How were you being creepy?"

 _Some other time perhaps,_ Cas signed as he left the shop with Gabriel.

"I missed something," Charlie said.

"So did I. He told me he was creepy but he won't tell me how."

She shrugged. "Want to speculate tonight at my place? I've gotta plan for this weekend's battle against the elves. You can help."

"Sure, but I won't be able to make the battle," Dean said. "Cas wants to introduce me to his mother."

"His ex-druggie mother who is responsible for him being mute?"

He nodded. "The very same."

Charlie put a hand on his shoulder. "May the force be with you. You're gonna need it."

"Thanks."

She started to re-stack the cups. "Now, moving on to Thor 2..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So next time we're gonna meet Cas and Gabe's mother who will probably end up being Naomi. And Anna too. Because I said so.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. This has become my most popular story in every sense. (Though my Avengers fic is catching up.) Can I just take a moment to thank you all? Thank you for all of your kind words of encouragement, thank you for reading my story, thank you for all the kudos. This story is a lot of fun to write, and it means a lot that so many people like it as well.
> 
> Also, in Dean's apartment building, you have to be buzzed in, okay? Sam didn't have to because he has a key (why Sam has a key is another story for another day), and Lisa didn't have to because Sam and Sarah let her and Ben in on their way out.
> 
> Okay, I'm going to let you get on with the chapter now.

"Sam, what did you wear when you met Sarah's parents?" Dean asked over the phone.

He could almost hear Sam rolling his eyes. "Just wear what you wore on Thanksgiving, Dean. Jeez, we've been at this for an hour."

Dean pulled the shirt out of his closet and considered it. "What if I get cold?"

"Then wear the sweater Mom bought you. You know the one."

"Thanks, Sammy. You're a lifesaver."

"Right, bye." He hung up.

Three minutes later Dean was calling him back. "I don't have any socks!"

Sam sighed. "I am so done with your shit, Dean. They're in that basket of laundry you were supposed to put away before I came over yesterday." He hung up again before Dean could say anything else.

Dean rolled his eyes and went to track down some socks.

He was pulling his sweater on when the buzzer on the door sounded three times, letting him know Cas had arrived. Dean let him in the front door and focused on getting his shoes on.

A couple minutes later, there was a knock on the door. He opened it. "Hey, Cas."

_Hello Dean. Are you ready to go?_

"Yeah." He grabbed his keys and stepped out of his apartment, locking the door behind him. "Lead the way." He gestured down the hall.

Dean only lived on the second floor, so they headed down the stairs and out of the building.

Once they were in Castiel's hybrid ( _It's sensible Dean_ ), he started fidgeting.

_You're lucky I haven't started the car yet. What's wrong?_

"What did you say your mom is? An orthodontist?"

Cas nodded.

"Yeah, your mom's an orthodontist, Gabriel owns a bakery, your sister runs a successful fashion blog, and you translate books. Dude, I work in a coffee shop. I have a pair of underwear that I refer to as my good underwear. I'm not even wearing them."

Cas reached over and patted his shoulder. _I'm sure your underwear is fine._

"It's not about the underwear!" It took Dean way too long to notice that the hand Cas was signing with was shaking.

He looked up at his face to see that he was trying to hold back laughter. "Cas, I'm freaking out over here, and you're making fun of me!"

_It will be fine. Gabriel already knows you, Anna will probably flirt with you, and Mother will be glad that you're not like my last girlfriend._

"How can you be so sure? She might think I'm exactly like her."

_She won't,_ he signed cryptically. _You know sign language._ He started the car, effectively ending the conversation.

* * *

Cas pulled up in front of a modestly sized house and shut the car off. _This is it._

"It's nice." In truth, he had been expecting something much bigger. "Good neighborhood."

Cas smiled and got out of the car. Dean got out as well and followed him up the cobblestone path leading to the front door.

Just as they got there, the door swung open to reveal a woman with long red hair. Dean guessed this was Anna.

"Cas!" She threw her arms around him. "It's been too long."

_Hello Anna,_ he signed once she released him. _I hope you're well._

"Oh, you know me. Is this Dean?" She looked him up and down.

Dean held a hand out. "Hi. It's nice to meet you."

"Oh my god, he's so adorable. And attractive. You have good taste." She linked arms with Cas and led him into the house.

Cas reached back and pulled Dean along by his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really bad at ending chapters, what the hell.
> 
> For those of you who want to know, they're all half-siblings. Each has a different father. Gabriel is the oldest, Anna is the middle child, and Cas is the baby.
> 
> And thanks to [Brianna](http://starlightandfireworks.tumblr.com) for helping me figure some of the stuff out in this chapter! <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place right where the previous chapter left off.
> 
> And for the record, by this point, they've been dating for two or three months. I'm skipping around a lot, I know.

Dean refused to admit that he was scared of Castiel's mom.  


Nope, not at all.  


Okay, maybe a little bit. He blamed the pantsuit. Seriously, who wears a pantsuit to dinner?  


Regardless, he was pretty sure his, "Nice to meet you, Dr. Milton," sounded believable and not like he was vaguely terrified.  


She surprised him by smiling. "I save Dr. Milton or my patients and people I don't like. You may call me Naomi." She gestured towards the dining room. "We were just about to sit for dinner."  


Cas squeezed his hand and gave him a reassuring smile before leading him into the dining room.  


Dean took his seat and sighed in relief that he recognized all of the utensils. In a brief moment of insanity, he had been afraid that he would be expected to know what to do with seven different forks. Obviously that was not the case.  


Naomi said grace and they began to load their plates.  


"So, Dean-o," Gabriel said, "how's work?"  


"What do you do?" Anna asked.  


"I work part-time at a coffee shop in town."  


Anna raised en eyebrow, turning to Cas. "A coffee shop, you say?"  


Cas rolled his eyes. _Yes we met there. Shut up._  


Anna stared at him for a few moments longer before bursting into laughter. "Seriously?"  


"Anna, don't tease your brother," Naomi said, not even looking up from cutting her chicken. "There's nothing wrong with meeting multiple people in certain types of places."  


"Right, didn't you meet all of our fathers at rock concerts?"  


"Yes, as a matter of fact. Now be grateful I did at all."  


Dean stifled a laugh upon seeing Gabriel's expression. A look to the side confirmed that Cas was doing the same, with better results.  


"Now, Dean, please tell us more about this coffee shop."  


* * *

After dinner, Dean found himself cornered in the hallway by Anna, on his way out of the bathroom.  


"Um, Anna, what are you-" was as far as he got before she backed him up against the wall.  


"Shh. I just wanted to talk to you." She leaned a little more into his personal space. "In private."  


He tried to lean a little further away. "I don't think-"  


"What? You don't think we should do this?" She smiled. "My brother is lucky to have you."  


Dean smiled despite himself. "I'd say I'm lucky to have him."  


"I would be even luckier." She leaned in so her nose brushed his.  


He gently pushed her back by the shoulders. "Look, I'm flattered, but-"  


There was a thump on the wall. They both turned to see Cas staring at them with his arms crossed.  


"Cas, it's not what it looks like!" Dean said, but Cas held a hand up.  


_I thought I told you this was not necessary Anna._  


"Oh come on," she said. "Can you blame me, based on the last one?"  


_We agreed not to talk about that._  


Anna rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter, Cas. He passed anyway."  


"Passed?" Dean said. "What did I pass?"  


 _Gabriel and Anna like to test the people I bring home to ensure they would stay faithful to me,_ he signed. _The last one took her up on it._  


"And then that night," Anna said, "he went out drinking. After luckily making it through the night, especially with the inability to say the word no, he went to a coffee shop to get something for his hangover. There, he met his last girlfriend, who may not have even known his name."  


Castiel looked sheepish. _Well when you put it like that it just sounds bad._  


"Gee, wonder why." Gabriel said from behind him. "Maybe because she was such a bitch."  


"I take it you didn't like her much then?" Dean said.  


"None of us liked her."  


 _Enough about that,_ Cas signed. _Can we please go back to the other room?_  


Once Gabriel and Anna were gone, Cas turned back to Dean. _I am glad you passed Dean._  


* * *

"You'll probably want to take him home," Naomi said.  


Dean looked down to where Cas was leaning against his shoulder, fast asleep.  


"Would you like help getting him to the car?"  


"I'm fine. Thank you though." He shook Cas. "C'mon, Cas. Time to go home."  


Cas slowly sat up. He ran and hand down his face. _What time is it?_  


"Nearly eleven," Naomi said. "You nodded off around ten."  


_I should be getting home._  


They said their goodbyes and then Cas allowed Dean to help him to the car, since he was still mostly asleep.  


The drive to Castiel's apartment was quiet.  


He looked up when they arrived, and a look of confusion crossed his face. _How will you get home?_  


"I can get a cab back, it's fine. Let's just get you inside first."  


Once Dean got him into bed, however, Cas refused to let him go.  


_You will stay here tonight._  


"Cas, I don't-"  


_I was not asking._  


Reluctantly, Dean kicked off his shoes and climbed in beside him. "Happy?"  


_Take your clothes off._  


"What?" Dean squawked.  


Cas raised an unimpressed eyebrow. _Do you normally sleep fully clothed?_  


"Fine, whatever." He got up and pulled his sweater and shirt off in one go. When he dropped them to the floor, he saw Cas putting his wallet back on the nightstand. "Very funny," Dean said as he pulled the five dollar bill out of his waistband. "I'm keeping this."  


Cas shrugged and rolled over onto his stomach.  


Dean tossed his jeans onto the floor somewhere and climbed back into the bed. Cas immediately scooted over and buried his face in Dean's neck.  


"Comfy?" Dean said, moving his arm into a more comfortable position.  


Cas waved a hand noncommittally.  


They lay there in silence for a few minutes.  


Dean took a deep breath. "Cas, I wanted you to know that I l- You're asleep, aren't you?" He was.  


Dean sighed. Maybe tomorrow.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I liked Naomi, shut up.
> 
> Maybe let me know what you thought because I love comments...


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this started as just a filler chapter, to transition into the next, but that did not work out.

The door buzzed three times while Dean was cleaning his kitchen counter after an unfortunate butter incident. "Can you get that?" he called to Charlie. "It's Cas. Just let him in."

"Ooo, you guys have a secret code for booty calls?" she asked as she buzzed him in and unlocked the door.

"Hah, you'd like that, wouldn't you?"

She snorted. "Are you done yet? I'm about ready to steal all of your candy."

"Maybe if you hadn't spilled the popcorn all over my counter." He tossed the sponge into the sink and went back out into the living room.

"Finally! I've shuffled the cards three times now."

Dean grabbed the deck from her and dealt the cards out. "You should invite Jo next time," he said, considering his hand.

"So she can clean us out? No thanks."

"Charlie, we're betting with candy. It really doesn't matter. Besides, you suck at poker anyway."

She threw a gumdrop at him. "Shut up, I'm getting better."

There was a knock at the door.

"It's open," Dean called. "How many cards do you want?" he asked Charlie.

"Two," she said at the same time as Cas opened the door.

Dean briefly looked up to see him sign, _Hello Dean._

"Hey, Cas." He patted the floor beside himself. "Come help me kick Charlie's ass."

Charlie kicked him. "No fair. I want him on my team."

"You can't even understand a word he says," Dean pointed out.

Cas sat down between them. _Or I could play by myself._

"Have you ever played poker before?"

_A few times. Gabriel taught me._

"Charlie, give Cas some candy from the bags. He's playing by himself."

She was a bit skeptical. "Are you sure about that, Dean?"

"Oh come on," Dean said. "How bad can it be?"

* * *

"Dean-"

"Shut up, Charlie!" He stared at Castiel's cards. "So you're telling me you accidentally got a straight."

Cas nodded. _I was trying for a flush._ He then pulled the candy in the pot over to his already large pile.

"I'm going to kill Gabe for teaching you."

Charlie looked at her watch. "As much fun as this has been, I've got a date tonight."

"You're always got a date on poker night," Dean said. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you do it on purpose."

Charlie gasped. "Why ever would I do that?" She winked. "Later, bitches."

Dean opened the door for her. "Tell Jo I said hi."

"Will do," she said. "Bye, Cas!"

He waved.

Dean locked the door behind her and turned back to Cas. "I know you didn't just come over to show off your poker skills. What's up?"

_Nothing._

Dean rolled his eyes and sat back down next to Cas. "You are such a liar." He poked him in the arm. "C'mon, you can tell me."

Cas sighed. _Gabriel wants me to go to a few bars with him on Saturday. I could not think of a reason why I was unable so I left._

"You can hang out with me on Saturday. I'm sure we could think of ways to pass the time."

 _Oh really?_ Cas tried to hide his smile.

Dean smirked. "Uh huh. In fact, I can think of a few that we can do right now." He began to lean in-

And then his phone rang.

"Ugh, why does this keep happening?" He pulled out his phone and looked at the display. "It's my mom. I've gotta take this."

_It's all right. Go ahead._

He answered the call. "Hey, Mom."

_"Hi, sweetie. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"_

"No, you're fine." Even though she kind of was. That wasn't exactly something he was going to tell his mother about though. "What's up?"

_"I just wanted to make sure you're still coming to dinner on Saturday."_

Dean scoffed. "Of course I am." Regardless of the fact that he totally forgot about it.

 _"Good. That's good."_ She sounded distracted.

"Okay, what is it?"

_"What's what?"_

"There's something else, Mom. Don't bother beating around the bush."

Mary sighed. _"Sam may have let it slip that you've been seeing someone."_

"Right, about that. I was gonna tell you, but-"

_"I knew it! I'd love to meet this mystery person, Dean. Have a chat."_

"Heh, that might be a pretty one-sided conversation, considering Cas is mute."

_"Cas, huh? Bring her along on Saturday."_

He glanced at Cas. "Yeah, okay, but-"

_"Oh shoot! I've got to take care of this. I'll see you on Saturday, okay? Love you, kiddo."_

"Love you too, Mom. Bye." He hung up and tucked his phone back into his pocket. "Well, shit."

_What's wrong?_

"You've got an excuse not to go drinking with your brother now. You're invited to dinner on Saturday."

_What's so bad about that?_

"My whole family will be there."

Cas tilted his head to the side. _I still do not understand the problem._

"My mom thinks you're a woman, and I didn't get a chance to correct her."

Castiel's hands stilled for a moment. _I see. That is a real problem._

Dean nodded. "You in?"

_Of course._

"Now then," he said a few minutes later, "where were we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a cliche, I know, but it's a funny one.
> 
> A lot of characters being introduced next time.
> 
> Also Cas trying to get a flush and ending up with a straight actually happened to me. I learned how to play poker a week or two ago and I was as surprised as anything when it happened. And that was when I learned how easily my poker face can slip. Luckily, nobody was paying attention.
> 
> Tell me what you thought in a comment?


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. I've more or less dropped out of the SPN fandom and I haven't really been feeling it lately. I was feeling inspired though, so I got back to writing this.

Dean had been parked outside of his mom's house for five minutes now.

 _Dean can we just go in?_ Cas asked.

"No, you should know this stuff."

Cas sighed, but gestured for him to go ahead.

"Okay, why did my parents get divorced?"

_Your mother was sick after Sam was born and your father stayed with her instead of taking care of you._

"Who took care of us instead?"

_Bobby._

"And he's married to...?"

_Ellen._

"Who's Adam?"

_Your half-brother. Born to your father and his girlfriend Kate._

"And what's he doing now?"

_He is in college. Pre-med._

Dean smiled. "Good. Now how's about we get in there? You've gotta try my mom's pie."

_I'm a bit nervous. It's been a while since I met anyone's family._

"Hey, it's gonna be okay." Dean put a hand on the door handle. "You ready?"

Cas nodded, and they both got out and made their way to the front door.

Dean knocked and the door was opened by Mary a few moments later. "Dean!" She threw her arms around him.

"Hey, Mom. Sorry if we're a bit late."

"Oh, nonsense, you're right on time," she said as she released him. "Who's your friend? I thought you were bringing Cas."

"Mom, this is Cas." Dean put a hand on Castiel's shoulder. Cas waved.

Mary looked confused for a moment before her face brightened. "It's lovely to meet you, Cas. I'm Mary Campbell."

_It's nice to meet you too._

_Please come in,_ Mary signed slowly.

Dean's eyes widened. "Mom?"

She did her best to look innocent. "What? I know how to use Google."

Dean turned back to Cas to see that he was beaming. _Thank you. That means a lot to me._

"Oh, it's nothing, really," Mary said after Dean translated. "Come on in, we're just waiting on your dad, Kate, and Adam."

"Right on time, huh?" Dean said as they followed her in.

Mary shrugged. "I barely exaggerated. It's only been ten or so minutes."

Dean gave Cas a, hopefully, reassuring smile just before they entered the den.

"Finally!" Sam said from his spot on the couch. "It's about damn time you guys got here!"

"It's okay, Sammy. I know you missed me."

Sam scoffed. "Yeah right, jerk."

"Bitch."

"Language!" Mary said. "You may not live here anymore, but I will not have swearing in my house."

"Sorry, Mom," they said in unison.

"Is this your other son then?" an unfamiliar voice said. Dean turned towards it to see a balding man in a suit.

"Yes, this is Dean," Mary said. "Dean, this is Zachariah Adler. We've been seeing each other for the last few weeks."

Zachariah held a hand out towards him. "Mary's told me a lot about you."

"I wish I could say the same," Dean said, shaking his hand, "but she hasn't really mentioned you."

"Dean Winchester, you bring that boy over here right now and let me have a look at him," Ellen said from across the room.

"Yes, ma'am." He turned back to Cas and gestured for him to lead the way.

"Castiel, right?" Ellen asked.

Cas nodded.

"Cas, this is Jo's mom, Ellen Singer."

Cas smiled and held out his hand. Ellen laughed as she used it to pull him into a hug. "No need to be so formal."

"Bobby in the kitchen?" Dean pointed a thumb over his shoulder.

"Not anymore," Bobby said from behind him.

Dean turned around. "Hey, Bobby. Good to see you."

"This that boy of yours?"

Mary huffed. "Was I the only one who didn't know?"

"Bobby, this is Castiel Milton."

Cas waved. _I'm glad to meet all of you._

Ellen and Bobby asked Cas a few question about himself. And then...

"You didn't tell me your son was a faggot."

Everyone froze.

"What did you just call me?" Dean said.

Zachariah glared at him. "You heard me. I called you a f-"

"I think you should leave," Mary said quietly.

"Excuse me?"

"I won't have that sort of language under my roof, or anywhere near my son, for that matter."

Zachariah scoffed. "You're serious?"

"Get out of my house, I won't ask again."

"Mom, you didn't have to do that," Dean said after he was gone.

"Yes I did, honey. Nobody should speak to you like that."

John poked his head into the room. "Why do I feel like I'm missing something?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was supposed to be longer, but I've been working on it for the better part of two months, so I figured I'd throw you guys a bone. A short chapter is better than nothing, right?
> 
> Mary's boyfriend was originally just gonna be some random guy, but after rewatching Dark Side of the Moon, I decided to make it Zachariah.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, finishing this chapter was harder than a preteen at Hooters.

"Oh, John, you're here!" Mary said. "How did you get in?"

John pointed over his shoulder. "That guy who just left let us in."

"Was that Zachariah?" Kate asked as she and Adam came in as well.

"Let's just forget about him." Mary hugged Kate.

John looked around. "So, where's that girl Dean was bringing?"

"Dean wasn't bringing a girl," Mary said. "I misunderstood him."

"This is Cas, Dad," Dean said.

John looked Cas up and down, then huffed and went into the kitchen. He returned with a beer in his hand.

"Don't mind him," Kate said. "He was getting excited about the idea of grand kids."

"Well..." Sam said.

Everyone turned to him and Sarah.

"Surprise," Sarah said. "We were gonna tell everyone after dinner."

"How far along are you?" Mary asked.

"Six weeks."

Dean patted Sam on the back. "Congrats, you guys. Cas says congrats too."

Just then, the oven timer went off. "Dean," Mary said, "come help me."

"Sure thing, Mom."

When they got to the kitchen, Mary handed Dean a colander and told him to hold it over the sink while she poured the pasta into it.

"So. Cas," she said.

"Yeah, Cas."

"Where did you meet him?"

"At work," Dean said. "His brother was in the bathroom when he got to the counter, so I took his order.

Mary nodded and seemed to consider something, then said, "I'm sorry I assumed you were bringing a girl, Dean. I know very well that you like men as well as women, and there's no excuse for what I did."

Dean nearly dropped the colander. "Mom, it's okay. I'm used to it."

"But you shouldn't have to be. And certainly not coming from me."

"I know you didn't mean nothing by it."

Mary patted his cheek. "You're one of the good ones, sweetie. Now come on, let's get dinner on the table."

* * *

"When are you putting a ring on that girl, Sam?" Jo asked while Sarah was in the bathroom.

"Yeah," Dean said. "You've already got a kid on the way. What's stopping you?"

Sam shrugged. "We're talked about it. I think we're just going to-" He stopped abruptly. "Dean, that's _my_ foot."

Cas put down his fork to sign something and Dean burst out laughing.

"What?"

"Cas says sorry," he managed to get out.

Cas smiled sheepishly. _My mistake._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There, I made my joke! Now I can move on. (I really wanted that last scene with Sam's foot and Cas saying sorry and Dean laughing and it was really funny in my head and I had to do it.)
> 
> I wanted to do more with Kate and Adam, but I really just wanted to finish the damn thing. Maybe I'll bring 'em back later.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. I had some stuff, you know how it is.
> 
> Warning for something early on, but I wanted you to be prepared: Cas gets injured in this chapter. It happens off-screen, and he's okay overall, but he ends up in the hospital. Just so you know what's coming.

Dean was just getting off work when he got a text from Cas that was just a phone number and the words, "call asap, urgent."

It was confusing, to say the least, but urgent is urgent is urgent, so he dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up. When they did, the voice on the other end was familiar.

"Hello?"

"Gabe?"

"Dean, good." He sounded distressed.

"What's going on? Is Cas okay?"

"He's in the hospital."

* * *

Gabriel was in the waiting room when Dean got there.

"Don't panic. That looks like your panicking face."

"What happened?"

Gabe sighed and gestured for Dean to follow him. He talked as they walked. "He got mugged. I already canceled his cards, and he was only carrying twenty bucks, so that's not an issue, but they guy found out that he can't speak and beat him up. Cas couldn't exactly call for help.

Dean clenched his fists. "How bad is he?"

"Mostly cuts and bruises, but he's got a few fractured ribs, and his right arm is broken. The doctor say he can get out of here in a few days, which is what I wanted to talk to you about."

They stopped outside of a room that Dean figured must be Castiel's.

Gabriel kept talking, but lowered his voice. "He's gonna need someone to take care of him and make sure he takes his meds on time. He lived with me and my girlfriend, but we both work full time."

"And you wanna know if he can stay with me?"

"Well, yeah," he said. "He could hang out at the coffee shop while you're working. I just want to make sure he's got someone with him while he's healing."

"Can I talk to him first? Before I make a decision?" He was obviously going to say yes, but he wanted to make sure that Cas would be okay with it first.

Gabriel nodded. "Be patient with him. He's basically ambidextrous, but he's always been a bit slower, signing with his left hand." He pointed a thumb over his shoulder, back the way they came. "I'm gonna go get some coffee. You want anything?"

"No thanks, you go ahead," Dean said, and then entered the room.

Cas was sitting up in the hospital bed, bruises on his face and his right arm in a cast. He looked up when Dean walked in and waved with his good hand.

"Hey, Cas, are you okay?" Dean sat in the chair next to the bed.

Cas nodded and started signing, spelling out the signs that used two hands. _I'll be honest I've been better._

"How long do they say you're gonna be out of commission?"

_Anywhere from three to seven weeks. Maybe more for my arm._

"Well, hey, that's not so bad. And until then?"

Cas shrugged. _I suppose I'll sit around at home mostly._

"Yeah, about that..." Dean said.

_What?_

"How would you feel about moving in with me?" At Castiel's shocked look, he added, "While you recover, I mean. Not that I would have an issue living with you more permanently, I just...shit."

_Would you like to start over?_

"Please." Cas nodded, so Dean took a deep breath. "Okay. Gabe and I agreed that it might be better for you to have someone around all the time, if that's okay with you."

 _That would be nice,_ Cas signed. _I'll ask Gabriel to pack some of my things. Though knowing him he's probably done it already._

Dean laughed. "Probably."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One day I'll write a longer chapter. Today is not that day. Also, feel free to point out any glaring errors, sometimes I miss things.
> 
> We're getting close to the end. Just a heads up.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really short chapter this time. From Castiel's point of view, just because. I thought it might be fun to try out. I dunno how I feel about it though. I'm just gonna stick with Dean from now on, I think.

Castiel followed Dean into his apartment.

"So, this is the place," Dean said. "Uh, as you already know." He threw his keys on the table by the door and turned around. "You can put your things in the bedroom, and I'll get some sheets for the couch."

Castiel smiled and signed as best as he could with his left hand. _There is no need for that Dean. Your bed is large enough for the both of us. We know that well enough by now._

"Yeah." Dean grinned. "That is true..." He cleared his throat and pulled something out of his pocket. "These are for you."

It was a set of two keys. "One for the building, and one for the apartment," Dean said.

 _Thank you,_ Castiel signed, and slipped the keys into his own pocket. Then he went to put his bag away. When he rejoined Dean, he was picking his keys up again.

"I totally forgot that I had to work today," he said. "Do you wanna grab something to do?"

Castiel nodded and thought to himself that it was a good thing that the cafe had free wifi.

* * *

Dean was around thirty minutes into his shift when Sam came in and spotted Castiel.

"Hey, Cas," he said, taking a seat next to him. "How are you?"

Castiel pulled up a blank document on his laptop and began typing.

_I'm fine, Sam. Thank you for your concern._

"So what are you working on?" Sam asked. "Anything important?"

Castiel minimized the document and showed Sam his game of solitaire. He burst out laughing.

"I'll let you get back to that. Want me to get you anything?"

Nodding, Castiel held up his empty cup and resumed searching for a place to put that stupid seven. By the time Sam returned, he'd won that game and started a new one.

Sam hesitated before setting his own coffee down. "Do you mind if I sit here? I've got a test that I need to study for."

Castiel gestured for him to go ahead and they sat there, in relative silence, for nearly an hour.

Then Gabriel showed up.

He plopped down at the table and slammed Castiel's laptop shut, startling them both.

"You two looked so focused over here," he said. "I had to come ruin it."

"You must be Gabriel," Sam said. "I'm Sam."

"Well, Sam, do you think you could get my baby brother a refill while we have a brotherly chat?"

Sam rolled his eyes, but obliged.

_What do you want Gabriel?_

Gabriel winked. "I want to talk about Dean's scrumptious brother. Then I want to climb him like a tree."

Now Castiel rolled his eyes. _In case you have forgotten you are both in relationships already._

"Nah," Gabriel said, "me and Kali are off again. She's staying with this douchebag, Baldur something."

Castiel sighed. Gabriel and Kali were off almost as often as they were on. At least this time he wouldn't be kicked out while they made up. There were some things about his brother that he didn't want to know.

"Do you think Sam and his girlfriend will go for a threesome?"

Although sometimes he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. _They are expecting a baby,_ Castiel signed. _So probably not._

Gabriel shrugged and put his chin in his hands, watching Sam at the counter. "A girl can dream," he said wistfully.

Luckily, Sam finished up at the counter and came back to the table.

"How do you feel about threesomes?" Gabriel asked.

Perhaps not so luckily after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To the person who, way back when, asked whether there would be Sabriel in this story (you know who you are), that was for you.
> 
> Also, it will never be relevant, but Castiel's sign name is angel, Dean's is pie, Gabe's is candy, and Sam's is moose. Because I'm creative like that.

**Author's Note:**

> Dean knows sign language because I do. Though he's better at it than I am right now. I most likely wouldn't be able to recognize anything, but I'm working on it.
> 
> This was just a one-shot for now, but, just in case, I left the ending just open enough for me to weasel my way back in if I ever wanted to.
> 
> Continued by popular demand!


End file.
